Lived in Percy, ON and Hasting, ON, while growing up. He spent three seasons with the Peterborough Petes (OHA-Sr.) from 1924 to 1927, winning the OHA Sr. title with them. In the 1930s he then played for Toronto Nationals (OHA-Sr.). That team also represented Canada at the 1933 World Championships.
Aside from hockey he was also a very capable baseball player and played for Peterborough club in the Central Ontario League.
On November 9, 1940 he was preparing to fill his car with gasoline when the tank exploded, killing him instantly. A nearby witness said that at the time of the blast Collins was thrown 100 feet (30 meters) from the car and that his body fell on a nearby car and rolled to the ground.
PH